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It feels like one great big commercial for the U.S. Armed Forces - fortunately it plays quite well.

Many people, myself included, often wonder exactly how our tax money is being spent. Is it going towards a fight against corruption in politics, or is it being used to help orphans find a loving home so that they may grow to be productive Americans?

Well, that answer would most definitely have to be no. They are spending it on a video game. That’s right, they have created a video game for the masses that is apparently intended to spark interest in the military among the civilian population.

America’s Army feels like one great big commercial for the U.S. Armed Forces, but that aside, how does the game play?

In actuality, the game is not that bad. It is a bare-bones multiplayer only (and I do mean only, as you will find no bots here) tactical first person shooter. Teamwork is critical to success in AA, as you will instantly learn if you attempt to go it alone against the enemy.

Interestingly, no matter if you choose to defend or attack, you will always be the U.S. soldiers and the other team are always the terrorists. Hmmm – I wonder why they would make that design decision?

You begin the game just like every soldier begins his stint in the army, and that is with lots of training. You must not only complete the training levels, but you have to meet a certain score before you are even allowed to enter multiplayer games.

Luckily, these levels are extremely simple, and it shouldn’t be a problem for you to surpass their expected scores. Training exercises include tests on marksmanship, weapons training, and even a small obstacle course.

Once the training missions are successfully completed, you can move on to the real stuff. Mission objectives are mostly of the capture or protect variety depending on which side of the conflict you choose to play on (defending or attacking). You will be tasked with capturing or protecting a warehouse, documents, a refuel station, hotspots in mountainous territory, and even prisoners.

Your very first multiplayer mission will be at the McKenna MOUT (Military Operations in Urban Terrain) facility. This serves as your final bit of basic training, and a sort of introduction into the mechanics of the rest of the game.

An Alaskan pipeline pump station, a bridge, a POW camp, and a collapsed highway tunnel are some of the settings that you will be waging battle in. Overall, the level design is good, but exceedingly plain. Most levels feel small and confined, like the collapsed tunnel, which consists almost entirely of hallways.

The bridge level is easily my favorite. One team must attempt to cross the bridge, while the others try to block the way. There are mangled and smoking vehicles along the bridge, providing much needed cover for both teams. For even more cover, there is a large archway right in the center. This mission is short, sweet, and most importantly it’s fun.

Multiplayer games are easy to find and join thanks in large part to the interface. Also helpful is the almost infinite number of people playing the game online. Lag can occasionally be a major issue, even becoming unbearable at rare times. However, for the most part, the network code is very solid.

Those of you looking for a plethora of real world weaponry will be more than disappointed. Just as in the real army, you only have your standard issue equipment – M16, smoke bombs, flashbangs, and grenades. While this is certainly realistic, I couldn’t help but wish for more after a while with the same weapons.

AA is the first game to be released utilizing the Unreal Warfare engine, and the results are great. Even with the particularly simple level design, the graphics are able to shine. The character models are fantastic, and the texture work is nicely done. Lighting is also a high point, and it is helpful in some missions where you will need to conceal yourself in darkened corners. However, it’s easy to see that there was a lot of engine potential left untapped by the designers.

Sounds are top notch, as they should be. These are the people that know what an M16 fired inside a room of steel should sound like. Flashbangs not only blind you, but they leave you nearly deaf with only a ringing in your ears – a very impressive effect. Drill instructors are fairly lame as they bark badly voiced orders at you, but other than that, sound is excellent.

One word can be used to describe America’s Army – simple. Level design, weapons, mission objective, and gameplay options are all straight-forward and simple. You cannot select to play deathmatch, capture the flag, or any other multiplayer game for that matter. There is only team deathmatch. Two teams – one objective.

One part of the game in particular hurt the gameplay in my opinion. Once you die, you are out of that mission until it is over. You can only watch the action play out until one team is killed off or the objective is completed. There are no respawns. What creates the problem, is that these games can continue for another ten minutes before it’s over. That is a long time to sit and stare at a computer screen without being able to interact.

I would love to say that this game is good, but it’s not. I also can’t say that it’s bad, because it isn’t that either. The game is simply ok. It probably won’t be your favorite, and it probably won’t be the worst you have ever played. It’s the perfect kind of game for when you have time to waste.

Every gamer should definitely give America’s Army a chance. I mean, what have you got to lose, it’s free!

Reviewed by Michael Bordelon, PC Gameworld.